(19)
(11) EP 0 206 162 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
23.09.1987 Bulletin 1987/39

(43) Date of publication A2:
30.12.1986 Bulletin 1986/52

(21) Application number: 86108082

(22) Date of filing: 13.06.1986
(84) Designated Contracting States:
BE DE FR GB IT SE

(30) Priority: 26.06.1985 US 748855

(71) Applicant: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION
 ()

(72) Inventors:
  • Wilson, John Francis
     ()
  • Gjertsen, Robert Kenneth
     ()
  • Ferrari, Harry Max
     ()

   


(54) Nuclear fuel assembly with bow-resistant structural members


(57) The invention relates to a nuclear fuel assembly with non-control-rod-receiving structural members between the top and bottom nozzles thereof.
Each non-control-rod-receiving structural member (14) comprises a sealed tube (30) which contains a creep-resistant material, such as ceramic pellets (50), and a pre-tensioning means (e.g. internally pressurized bellows 52) for applying a compressive load upon the creep-resistant material and reacting the load so as to preload the tube in a state of pre-tension sufficient to substantially counteract such axial load as is typically transmitted from the hold-down means and through the unitary skeletal structure of the fuel assembly.
This arrangement greatly reduces compressive stressing of the tube and, hence, the risk of fuel assembly bow.






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